Junpei Yoshino jerked his head up.
Mahito stood in the doorway, long blue hair resting on his shoulders, a friendly smile on his face.
"You came?"
Remembering Yuji's warning, Junpei felt a knot form in his stomach. He instinctively moved to block the front of his mother's bed.
"I heard your mom was hospitalized, so I came to check on her." Mahito walked in with light steps. "How is she? Is Auntie okay? Is it serious?"
The curse put on a worried expression.
"Junpei, you really had me worried."
Junpei didn't speak.
His mind was consumed by the words Yuji had written on the back of that report. He felt like he was balanced on a scale, being pulled in two directions.
If Mahito-san was a good person, then Yuji was lying. But if Mahito-san was the villain... he didn't want to see that outcome.
Junpei was torn.
What if... what if Itadori-kun made a mistake? What if Mahito really did just come to visit?
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
"Mahito-san."
"Hm?"
"That cursed object... you didn't place it there, did you?"
"...?"
Mahito's smile froze for an instant.
"Hm? Cursed object? What are you talking about, Junpei?"
"I'm asking if it was you!"
"You mean your mother is unconscious because of a cursed object? How could I do such a thing?"
Mahito spread his hands. "Junpei, I'm the person who cares about you most. Your mom got sick, and I came to see her right away. How could you doubt me?"
"Besides, I have no reason to do that."
His voice was gentle—like coaxing a difficult child.
"Why would I want to harm your mom? What would I gain? Junpei, think about it. Haven't I been helping you from the start? Who dealt with those people who bullied you?"
"..."
Junpei bit his lip. His nails dug deep into his palms.
He didn't know who to believe. Didn't know which side was genuine and which was a lie.
But he thought of his mother.
He thought of how she'd raised him alone. The gentle smile on her face when she said "school is just a small fish tank."
He thought of her pale face on the hospital bed.
"Stop playing dumb!" Junpei's voice erupted. "You wanted to hurt my mom! Didn't you?!"
"..."
At his outburst, Mahito's smile vanished.
The look he gave Junpei was no longer gentle or concerned—just pure, undisguised impatience. Like an adult who'd lost patience with an unreasonable child.
Mahito's tolerance had limits. His disgust for stupidity was flaring up.
He'd always found foolish humans revolting. Since Junpei refused to cooperate, there was no point in coddling him anymore.
Kidnapping him would achieve the same result anyway.
Mahito looked up, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile of pure malice.
"You guessed right. It was me."
Junpei's pupils contracted violently.
"I placed that finger. I attracted that curse. I figured if your mom died, you'd depend on me more. Hate this world more. Become a nice, obedient pawn in my hand."
He tilted his head, grinning. "Unfortunately, that pink-haired brat intercepted it. Really annoying."
"Why... why would you do this?!"
"Why?" Mahito looked like he'd heard a hilarious joke. "Because it's fun."
"Fun?"
"Yes. Fun. Don't you think so? Watching a human fall from hope into despair..." He let out a soft laugh. "Just thinking about it gets me excited."
"Also—you're just a tool. Useful when needed. Discarded when not."
"Did you think you actually mattered to anyone? Pathetic brat."
Mahito's expression twisted with disgust.
Hearing this, Junpei's eyes turned red—not from sorrow, but from rage.
"Mahito... you hurt the most important person to me..."
His fists trembled. His whole body shook.
"I will never forgive you. I won't forgive anyone who hurts my mother. Never!"
Mahito blinked innocently, then smiled even wider.
"Oh my, so scary." He patted his chest in an exaggerated show of fear. "Junpei-kun is angry. I'm terrified."
"Hehehe. Then come at me?"
He spread his arms wide, as if welcoming an embrace.
"With just words?"
"You bastard!"
Junpei charged forward.
He didn't know where his courage came from. Didn't know what gave him the right to throw a punch at a Special Grade curse. He only knew that Mahito had hurt the most important person in his life and trampled his trust into the dirt.
But he was too slow.
Mahito didn't even dodge. He simply raised his hand a fraction faster and drove his fist into Junpei's stomach.
"Pfft—!"
Junpei's eyes bulged. His mouth gaped open, and blood gushed from his throat. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, his back slamming hard against the hospital room wall.
BANG!
He slid to the floor, clutching his stomach, curling into a ball. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth onto the tile.
"Cough... cough cough..."
"Hey, at least have some self-awareness, will you?"
Mahito raised an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled by Junpei's sudden bravery.
"Do you understand, Junpei?"
"I am a curse. You are a human. A frail, insignificant human."
Mahito's mouth split open, revealing two rows of teeth. A bizarre, wicked grin spread across his face.
"The strong prey on the weak. A foolish existence like you deserves to be toyed with!"
"Stop being so moved by yourself over there, Junpei Yoshino. You're nothing."
"It's just you and me here! What chance do you have?! What can you change?! What do you even have?!"
As he spoke, his right arm began to twist.
Skin flowed like melting wax. Muscles and bones rearranged under the effect of Idle Transfiguration, finally forming several sharp scythes—densely packed together.
He swung his arm. The scythes whistled toward the curled-up boy in the corner like arrows loosed from a bow.
Whoosh—
Junpei's eyes went wide. He could only watch helplessly as the blades drew closer—
"..."
He squeezed his eyes shut.
BANG—!!!
A tremendous crash echoed the instant the scythes struck. Dust and smoke billowed outward. Mahito retracted his arm, the scythes reverting to normal.
"Strange..."
He stared at the dust cloud.
No impact? I didn't hit anything?
Just now, he'd glimpsed a flash of pink. When the dust settled, Mahito noticed that one of the room's windows was shattered. He turned toward the hospital bed.
The patient was gone. A massive hole had been smashed through the wall behind it.
"...?!"
Realization struck. Mahito spun and rushed into the corridor, scanning in every direction until he finally spotted Junpei Yoshino.
But before that—
He saw Yuji Itadori.
The black-haired boy sat slumped on the floor, legs weak. A pink-haired boy crouched in front of him, back to Mahito. In his arms was the unconscious Nagi Yoshino.
"Itadori... kun?"
Yuji didn't speak. He simply handed Nagi to Junpei.
Then he stood and turned his head.
His gaze fell on the Special Grade curse standing in the hospital room doorway.
The boy spoke quietly: "He has me."
Mahito's smile froze. His eyes widened slightly, the pink-haired boy's figure reflected in his pupils.
Sukuna's vessel?
Yuji pulled the brownish-black Sukuna finger from his pocket, pinched it between two fingers, and held it up.
At the same time, a slit opened in the center of his palm. Sukuna cooperatively opened his mouth and accepted the finger.
Gulp.
Inside Yuji Itadori's body—within the scarlet Innate Domain.
"Stinking brat. You really know how to order people around."
Sukuna sat atop his throne of bones, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
A new surge of power flowed into his soul. The fourth finger's energy churned through his body. Pitch-black cursed marks bloomed across Yuji's cheeks.
Yuji slipped his hand back into his pocket and spoke softly: "It's been a long time, Mahito."
"Hm? Have we met? Sukuna's vessel."
"It doesn't matter."
Yuji glanced down the corridor behind him. Junpei had staggered away with his mother.
"Mahito."
"Hm?"
"You're the one I've been wanting to see most." Yuji's voice was calm. "I've been waiting for you. For a long, long time."
Mahito's eyes narrowed. His mouth stretched into an exaggerated arc. "Oh my, am I that charming? I had no idea."
"To be missed so dearly by Sukuna's vessel—I'm truly honored."
"..."
Yuji didn't reply.
He simply looked at Mahito. Then the corners of his mouth slowly curved upward into a smile.
There was no anger in that smile. No hatred. No hostility.
Only the certainty of someone who had already won.
A person desperate to win doesn't smile.
But someone guaranteed to win is a different story.
Noticing that expression, Mahito felt a sudden chill. The feeling this pink-haired boy gave off was completely different from any prey he'd toyed with before.
"You—"
Mahito opened his mouth to speak, but before he could finish, Yuji's figure vanished.
The boy surged forward, feet cracking the floor beneath him. He shot through the corridor like an arrow, leaving an afterimage in his wake.
Mahito's pupils contracted violently. Before he could even raise his hand—
A fist filled his vision. Pitch-black lightning wrapped around it, aimed straight at his face.
"Black Flash!"
BANG—!!!
Mahito's head snapped backward. His entire face caved in and deformed under the impact, features crushing together. His body rocketed backward like a cannonball, smashing through the window at the end of the corridor and flying clean out of the hospital building.
"Mahito."
Yuji lowered his fist.
"Tonight, I'm going to make you remember my name."
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~ Evey 150 PS = Bonus Chapter
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